


Called out

by Artemis_Fandom_Things



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Gen, Lila Rossi Lies, jon is a good friend, little bit of salt, trip to gotham
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:01:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28619211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artemis_Fandom_Things/pseuds/Artemis_Fandom_Things
Summary: Marinette and her Classmates go on a trip to Gotham and she meets a friend, Jon, who is more than happy to call Lila out in her lies.-Written for Discord's "New Year's Gift Exchange"
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Jon Lane Kent
Comments: 11
Kudos: 282





	Called out

Jon hates liars.

Or, well, maybe not exactly  _ hate _ , but it’s at least heavily disliked. He doesn’t really _ do  _ hate, not unlike Damian, and he tends to be more disappointed than anything else. He thinks it may be due to his parents’ job- superheroing aside, of course- since they’re both journalists and lies in their profession are heavily discouraged and damaging.

So, when he hears a brunette girl sprouting what he classifies as  _ bold faced lies about his best friend _ , he can’t help but move closer to investigate.

“Yes, I know Damian Wayne,” the girl is saying, an aura of self-importance all around her. “In fact, we’re really close. I used to spend a lot of time with him during my childhood, but when he moved to Gotham my mamma decided it was too dangerous to meet in person anymore.”

A dark skinned girl with auburn hair gives liar girl an apolageting look. “Girl, I’m so sorry to hear that. You must’ve been disappointed when she told you.”

“Don’t worry, Alya,” liar girl chirps. “Phones and emails exist for a reason! We keep in contact that way!”

“Wouldn’t it be so romantic if you two ever become a couple?” a tiny blonde in pink gushes. “A childhood love!”

Jon grimaces. Damian is still working on getting out of the League of Assassins’ mentality, he doubts he’s ready for _ love _ . He barely manages to admit he likes his family!

Liar girl chuckles. “It would be, but I told you: I’m in love with someone else. Though, Damian is really cute and nice, and he did introduce me to his family on video call, once.”

All the girls- Jon counts four, all clustered around liar girl- squeal, and it makes Jon flinch when the high pitched sound reaches his ears. Sometimes enhanced hearing truly is a pain.

“I can’t believe they all fall for that,” a blonde girl says, scoffing. Close to her there are a goth girl, an androginous teen with pink hair and a small asian girl. “It’s ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.”

Jon squints at them.

“Just stop bothering, Chloè,” asian girl sighs. “They won’t listen to reason.”

“Or logic,” goth girl adds. 

Androgynous teen almost growls. “Or they’re just plain  _ stupid _ .”

Chloè huffs. “It’s still ridiculous. Com’on Dupain-Cheng, Couffaine, Kubdel, if we’re in Gotham, I refuse to be stuck with Liela and her cult.”

“It is like a cult,” asian girl muses, a tiny smile on her lips. “Should we grab Adrien and Nino?”

“I’ll send them a text. They can reach us later,” adrogynous says, whipping out their phone.

The four start walking away, down into Gotham’s fashion district, passing right in front of Jon as they leave, and that’s when Jon  _ recognises _ her. The asian girl- she’s Marinette Dupain-Cheng. MDC.

“Marinette?” he blurts out, and the girl in question whips around towards him, pinning him down with a hard stare.

“...Jon?” she says, posture relaxing. “What are you doing here?”

“School,” he says, adjusting his glasses. “And mum has an interview at WE, so I was going to her.”

Adroginous teen clears their throat. “Mari, who’s this?”

“This is Jon Lane-Kent. Remember when I was interviewed as MDC last year? When Mme Lane was in Paris? Jon was with her and we spent the time together in-between interviews and the shootings.”

Jon dutifully offers his hand for a handshake. “Nice to meet you.”

“Name’s Alix,” they say, shaking his hand. They point to goth girl. “That’s Juleka,” then to blonde girl, “and Chloè.”

“So, you live here?” Chloè asks.

“Metropolis,” Jon says, shaking his head. “But I go to school here, at Gotham Academy. Are you here on a trip?”

Marinette nods. “Class trip. We’re actually going to attend a few lessons at Gotham Academy later on- we’re staying in Gotham for two weeks, and today is only the second day.”

“I still think coming to the most crime ridden city in the world was a bad idea,” Alix drawls, then they shrug. “I still think Lila’s gonna attract a villain or two.”

“Let’s avoid thinking about it,” Juleka mutters.

Jon frowns, doing a little mental math. “This Lila girl doesn’t happen to be the liar over there?”

“She’s the one saying she knows Damian Wayne,” Chloè supplies. “With the sausage hair.”

“Damnit,” Jon curses. “She’s going to get herself killed.”

“By a villain?”

“By Damian,” he says, sighing. “He really doesn’t like people lying about him, it’s why he’s avoiding the media spotlight as much as he can. If he hears what Lila is saying about him, he’ll  _ destroy _ her.”

Alix blinks. “That would be so sad. Alexa, play Despacito.”

* * *

What they didn’t mention- Marinette and Jon hit it off really good and she introduced him to her parents the same day they met, one year prior to the field trip. For the whole week Lois Lane had been in Paris for her job, Jon and Marinette became inseparable, going everywhere together, taking silly photos, even gossiping.

Of course, just because they live one ocean apart it doesn’t mean they didn’t keep in contact. They exchanged phone numbers, email addresses and social media accounts. They are mutuals on Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram, they call or text every day and video chat on the weekends, not counting how many interactions they have on their social platform of choice.

So, when Jon declares he’s going to, not follow them, but actively join their class for their whole trip- the how isn’t exactly clear, but Marinette hears a mutter of ‘rich kids’ and leaves it be- it’s really only Marinette who isn’t surprised.

The cover story is that Jon was chosen among a few volunteers to take them around Gotham while outside their pre-planned tours and keep them away from ‘dangerous’ areas. A joke since Gotham is dangerous as a whole, but Jon isn’t complaining.

Predictably, Lila hears Jon personally knows Damian Wayne, she latches on his arm and never lets go, giving Marinette the side eye when she also sticks by Jon’s side.

“Marinette, why can’t you let me get to know Jon?” Lila whines. “Why do you always have to ruin everything?”

Marinette sees Lila’s supporters ready to lash out, but none of them manages to speak that Jon wraps his free arm around Marinette’s shoulders and smiles. “That’s okay, miss. Marinette is just making sure I'm comfortable, you know? We’ve been friends for a while after all.”

“You’re friends with her?” Alya asks, baffled. “Do you even know she’s been bullying Lila here for years?”

“I firmly believe Marinette is too nice to bully anyone,” Jon firmly says. “And, well, mum always says that if there are multiple versions of a story, to always find proof to validate one or the other.”

Alya frows. “Lila is being bullied. By Marinette. She has been for years.”

“Do you have proof?”

“Lila said-”

“A vocal testimony is not enough,” Jon interrupts. “Unless you can show me a video of said bullying happening, I will remain firm in my beliefs. Marinette would  _ never. _ ”

Lila stares at him, slack jawed, and Jon takes that as his chance to release his arm from her grip and swiftly leads Marinette away and towards her smug-looking friends.

-

Somehow, Marinette and Chloe are not with the class when the group goes to their tour of the day, at Wayne Enterprises, and Jon only notices when they’re halfway down the road leading them to the building. He feels a little guilty, but he’s quick to detangle himself- yet again- from Lila’s arm, informs the responsable teacher, one mme Mendelieve, and goes back to find the two girls.

He finds them inside one of the public restrooms, just in time to see Chloe climbing down the locked door and opening Marinette’s.

“What happened?” Jon asks, frowning. He takes a look at the locks, noticing how they were tampered with so that the doors couldn’t be opened from the inside, effectively locking the girls inside their stalls.

“Lila,” the girls say in synchrony. They look annoyed and a little tired, but otherwise unhurt and ready to go.

“I think you can file a police complaint for that,” Jon muses. “For harassment, you know?”

Marinette shakes her head. “I think I’d rather go have our tour. We can think about it with the other, once we’re back at the hotel.

Jon nods and leads them towards WE, where the class- Lila and Alya, really- is arguing with an unimpressed receptionist.

“-we have a tour!” Alya is shouting. “Lila here booked it for us!”

“We don’t have tours booked under a ‘Lila’,” the receptionist says in a flat tone. “And before you argue for the fourth time, the person who books all our tours has to send us a picture of themselves and the names of everyone part of the tour for safety reasons. We are only allowed to start the tour once the booker is here with their group.”

“Then Mme Bustier!” Lila tries. “She’s our teacher and the one who told us about this trip!”

The receptionist stares at the fidgeting teacher. “She didn’t book the tour.”

Before another argument can start, Jon interjects with a cheerful greeting. “Hello Amy!”

The receptionist turns and gives him a smile. “Jon! I’m happy to see you. Are you here to see your mother?”

“I’ll also tag along with their tour,” he says as he nods. “Mum texted; she says she’s going to take longer than anticipated.”

“Do you have your pass?” Amy asks, and Jon nods again. “Good. Ah, I suppose your companion is one Marinette Dupain-Cheng?”

Marinette nods.

“I’ll call your tour guide then. You’re a little early, so he’ll take a few minutes to get down here, but we can go ahead and get you the visitor passes you need,” Amy explains, rifling throught her papers and getting out a box. “I need your signature for this-” she raises a set of papers “- then everyone has to sign an NDA.”

“What do you mean Marinette?” Kim demands. “Lila is the one who organised this trip!

“Amy?” Jon interjects before another argument can start. “Can you just tell them the email account who sent you the proper documents to book the tour?”

Amy nods and does just that, an uncomfortable silence falling over the group when they recognise Marinette’s email account, while Marinette and her friends smugly sign their NDA.

* * *

Jon contradicts Lila a third time the next day, when the girl boldly declares she was the one to suggest which plant to use for Ivy’s Botanical Garden as the class is touring it.

“Did you really?” Rose gushes, hands clasped tight. “It’s so pretty!”

“Well, I did try to do my best,” Lila says, acting all shy and modest. “I was lucky people volunteered to plant the flowers for me, with my arthritis and all…”

“The whole place looks magical, Lila,” Mylene assures, patting Lila reassuringly on the shoulder. “The colours are very pretty.”

Jon shrugs to himself, opting to loudly answer Nino’s question about the place.

“”The garden was created to placate a known Gotham villain at the time, Poison Ivy!” Jon declares, almost shouting. “At first it was just a park with a few trees and flower beds, but once her villainous activities decreased, Gotham’s mayor publicly gifted it to her and she started working on it along with some volunteers.”

“So Ivy chose which plants to use?” Marinette asks, just as loudly. “She’s the one taking care of this beautiful place?”

Jon enthusiastically nods. “Even when she’s in Arkham she has special permission to come here every day to take care of her plants! She’s actually known for living here when she’s not there, it’s why there are plenty of warning signs not to litter or to step on the flower beds! You really don’t want to make her angry!”

Adrien looks at them both in amusement, having caught on on their scheme and enthusiastically asks his own question. “So it was created recently?!”

“Nope,” Jon bluntly says with cheer. “It was already there when I was born! I think it’s at least twenty years old! So at least five years before I was born! Maybe even older!”

“But Lila, didn’t you just say you were the one to come up with the idea?” Kim asks, a confused expression on his face.

Lila grits her teeth and subtly glares, even more lies spilling from her lips as she tries to salvage the situation. “I came up with the idea of _renewing_ it. Ivy was gracious enough to listen to my ideas, and she was impressed enough that she allowed it.”

“That makes more sense,” Max comments, nodding.

Lila gives him and her entourage a strained smile, and the class moves on to the next tour.

* * *

Their week at Gotham Academy comes, and after a short speech form the Principal, a teacher leads them to one of the classrooms.

“You each have been assigned a student from our school to be your exchange partner,” the teacher explains. “You will have their same class schedule and they’ll also act as your tutor in case you don’t understand something, but you will also be able to partake in the various other activities our school offers in your free time. You will be told who your partner is as you introduce yourself to the classroom.”

They walk inside the room, where the american students are amiably chatting by themself but already seated in their seats, with most of them having an empty space by their side clearly meant for the visiting French teenagers.

Once they spot the teacher, they all quieten down and politely wait for him to talk.

“I will now tell your pairs,” the teacher announces, bringing out a list. “Gotham students, raise your hand when you’re called.”

He starts in alphabetical order- for the French, at least- and even Lila seems to be genuinely excited and is patiently waiting for her turn.

“Agreste Adrien with Al Ghul-Wayne Damian,” he calls out, and a tanned boy with a scowl on his face raises his hand. Adrien grins and goes to sit by his side, while Lila’s smile takes on a fake twist as her whole body freezes.

Jon waves at Marinette, who waves back, and she barely hears her name being called after Chloe and Alya both get to their pairs. 

“Dupain-Cheng Marinette with Lane-Kent Jonathan,” the teacher calls again and Jon’s grin widens, ignoring how Alya snaps to stare at him. Marinette smiles and goes to sit, not bothering to keep track of her other classmates. She will learn the american students' names as they introduce themselves, or as her friends talk about them.

She also knows Jon won’t mind reminding her who is who.

* * *

For the whole week, Lila lies as much as she acn to her pair, a handsome boy with foreign features who, for his part, seems ready to abandon her at the first chance he gets. Not counting how many times their new classmates are more than happy to call her out in her lies, to the point Lila’s usual group gives her confused frowns and tight smiles when she tries to salvage it.

“I can’t believe Lila is getting exposed and I barely have to do anything,” Marinette says.

“Does she lie that often?” Damian asks, looking resigned as Adrien puts his phone number into his phone.

Marinette nods. “With every breath she takes.”

“That sounds quite annoying.”

“It’s more annoying how our classmates believe her,” Adrien remarks. 

“They collectively have one braincell and Lila has it,” Alix says as they stalk over along with their pair, a shy girl with purple highlights.

“If Lila has the braincell, I’m genuinely worried about its effectiveness,” Nino comments from hisi seat, looking up from his phone. His pair- a girl with dark skin and dark hair bullied in cornrows- is furiously tapping on her phone, clearly on her YouTube app.

“Whichcraft,” Juleka deadpans. Her pair looks at her almost in awe.

Chloe snorts, not even looking up as she files her nails. Her pair looks terrified of her. “Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. Our classmates are simply stupid.”

“Chloe, don’t be mean,” Adrien and Marinette chorus.

Damian sighs and Jon laughs at his best friend’s resigned look.

The week is going to be  _ just great _ .


End file.
